Process for producing the alloy of titanium with tin.



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTE J. ROSSI, 0F NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE TITANIUM ALLOY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE ALLOY 0F TITANIUM WITH TIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing. Original application filed May 6, 1910, Serial No. 559,657. Divided and this application filed February 4, 1911.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE J. RossI, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Producing the Alloy of Titanium with Tin, of which the following is a specification.

My present application is a division of my pending application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 559,657, filed May 6,1910, allowed December 23, 1910, and my present invention relates to a novel method of producingthe alloy of titanium with tin and has for its object the prevent-ion, more efficiently and economically than heretofore, of oxidation, volatilization, or other undesired alterations of the tin so alloyed or combined and also of the said titanium during the production of said alloy. In producing the said alloy, more or less difiiculty has been encountered, due to such oxidation, volatilization, etc., resulting not only in undesired losses of the metals themselves, but also, in some instances, production of fumes deleterious to the operator.

The losses and other undesirable incidents referred to are to be expected particularly when the said alloy is produced, as is otherwise desirable, in an electric furnace of the type known as an open furnace, but may also be expected undesirably during the formation of the alloy in any other electrical or other apparatus in which sufficient or equivalent requisite temperature may be developed. It. will be understood that in the formation of said alloy the titanium is usually supplied to the charge in the form 'of its oxid, and that the chemical reactions Serial No. 606,453.

ters Patent No. 802,914, granted to me October 24, 1905, I charge a predetermined quantity of tin intended to be alloyed with the titanium. Such tin has been previously melted, or is melted, in the said furnace, so as to produce a bath of molten tin. It is obvious that the said bath might be produced by reducing directly in the said furnace an oxid of tin. ()nto the surface of said bath is then charged a chemical compound of calcium, preferably the oxid CaO, the said charge so added being in quantity sufficient to constitute when melted a complete covering or coating for the exposed surface of the underlying molten tin bath.

After the lime has melted, or while it is melting, there is next superimposed thereon a charge of a mixture of titanium oxid and carbon, preferably comminuted and agglomerated in briquets, the carbon of the said last mentioned mixture being so proportioned as to be in sufficient quantity to reduce both the said titanium oxid and the lime. As equivalent for, and in lieu of titanium oxid, or of oxid of calcium a tit-anate of lime (CazO,TiO,) might, to such extent as desired,'be,employed, the titanium content of which may be such as to impart to the resulting alloy the desired content of titanium. In such cases the said titanate,

comprising titanium in a chemical combinafrom which may be derived the requisite amount of titanium, and also the required amount of lime for combination with the carbon.

The temperature of the charge being raised sufiiciently to insure reduction of the titanium compound under the conditions mentioned, there is formed alike in all cases mentioned, and by the resulting reactions, metallic titanium, which, passing through the lime, dissolves in the bath of molten tin below to produce the desired alloy of titanium and tin, and there is also formed, su-

perimposed and maintained above the said alloy during its formation a coating of calcium carbid, which, possessing reductive properties, promotes reduction of said compound of titanium and simultaneously effectually protects the said metals from substantially all alterations by oxidation, volatilization, or otherwise. It is preferable to add on the surface of the said melted carbid of calcium, toward the close of the opera- 'tion, an additional covering or blanket of carbon in order to insure a reducing atmosphere throughout the furnace. Reactions so occurring in cases in which oxid of calcium and oxid --of titanium are employed may be illustrated by the following formulae The resulting alloy may be tapped in any approved manner into any desired reeepta-. cle, the supernatent molten carbid of calcium running out simultaneously therewith and forming on the alloy, while the latter is cooling, a protective coating. When, as above noted, amixture of carbon and of a titanate of lime is employed, the final reac tions will be similar and the results: the same as when lime and titanium oxid are employed, 2'. e. as per the formula 1 bid of calcium with no greater detriment to the success of the operation, or to the qualities of the resulting alloy, than a possibly small, though undesired, loss of titanic acid. It is obvious that the amount of said excess of carbon will be readily determined according to the requirements of each case by those skilled in the metallurgical art.

.It will also be appreciated that in the production of said alloy of titanium and tin a concentrate of titanium oxid and oxid of tin may be employed instead of titanium oxid pure and simple and with equivalent results, a proper amount of carbon being, in such case, however added suflicient to reduce also the oxid of tin and the resulting tin passing into the original bath of molten metal together with the titanium.

The foregoing formulae should enable those skilled in the metallurgical art to cal culate the proportions of carbon required to secure the reduction of the compound of lime and of the titanium oxid or other titanium compound and of the other oxids employed as the case may be; also the amount of carbon required in cases in which, instead of titanium oxid alone, titanium oxid and the oxid of tin are employed. Furthermore, those so skilled will readily understand the various proportionings of titanium oxidor other titanic material employed to furnish to the metallic bath the required percentage of titanium.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following, viz

1. The method of producing an alloy comprising titanium and tin which comprises producing over a bath containing molten tin a covering comprising carbon, titanium in chemical combination reducible by carbon, and calcium in chemical combination reducible by carbon, and imparting to the whole a temperature sufficient to insure liberation of metallic titanium by carbon reduction.

2. The method of producing an alloy comprising titanium and tin which comprises superimposing over a bath containing molten tin a covering comprising carbon, oxid of titanium, and a compound of calcium and imparting to the whole a tem ,perature sufiicient to insure reduction of said oxid of titanium under the conditions specified.

3. The method of producing an alloy or compound of titanium with tin which comprises superimposing over a bath of molten tin a covering of molten oxid of calcium, superimposing above said oxid of calcium oxid'of titanium and carbon and imparting to the whole a temperature sufi'icient to insure reduction of such oxids under the conditions specified.

4. The method of producing an alloy or compound of titanium and tin which comprises superimposing over a bath containing molten tin a covering comprising car-' bon, a compound of titanium reducible by carbon, and oxid of calcium, and imparting to the whole a temperature sufiicient to insure liberation of metallic titanium by carbon reduction.

Witnesses:

WALTER D. EDMONPS, PHILIP C. PEOK.

AUGUSTE J. ROSSI. 

